Improvement in corn-planters



" E. W. KIMBALL.

' Corn-Planter.

Patented Jan. 8. 1861.

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".FETERS, PHOTO-UYHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES E. W. KIMBALL, OF OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 31,085, dated January 8, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E. W. KIMBALL, of Ottawa, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinoisyhave invented a new and Improved Corn -Planter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my invention, taken in the line a: m, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same; Fig. 3, a detached sectional view of a portion of the seedslide.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of corn-plantersin which the seeddistributing device is placed on a mounted frame, and which are designed for planting in cheek-rows.

The invention consists in the employment or use of areciprocatingseed-slide in connection with valves placed in the lower parts of the seed-tubes and indicators connected to the valves, all being arranged substantially as mounted on two wheels, B B, the latter being sufficiently wide to serve as rollers.

O is the drivers seat, which is attached to uprights a a. on the frame A at its back part; andD D are hoppers, which are placed on the front part of the frame, one at each side. 'The hoppers D D are connected by a board or seat, E, which is the operators seat. The bottom I) of each hopper has a circular opening, 0, made in it, and on the bottom I) of each hopper there is placed a slide, cl. These slides work through the sides of the hoppers D, and they are connected at their inner ends to a bar, F, in which the lower end of a lever, G, is fitted, said lever passing through the seat E. The slides cl d are each perforated'with two holes, 6 e, and in each slide cl adjustable plates f f In the lower end of each tube or opening g.

there is placed a flap or valve, I, the back ends of which are attached to rod J, which extend up back of the runners H and pass through guides h. Each rod J has a spiral spring, i, upon it, which springs have a tendency to keep the valves I closed and the lower ends of the openings 9 stopped. The rods J are acted upon by projectionsj at the under sides of the slides d. The projection of one side is shown clearly in Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows: As the machine is drawn along, the operator on seat E works the lever Gr first to the right and then to the left, and gives a reciprocating motion to theslides d d, and the seed in the hoppers D D is distributed by the holes c 6 down into the openings or tubes g, the hoppers D being provided with the usual out off-brushes, K. The valves I at the bottoms of the openings or tubes -g catch each dropping of seed and discharge it, while the holes a in the bottoms b of the hoppers are covered by the slides 11, the valves I being opened by the projections j of the slides d acting upon the rods J, the springs I closing the valves. The valves I cause the seed to be dropped from a point quite near the surface of the ground and all scattering of the seedis avoided.

To each rod J there is attached a wire or light rod, L. These rods L extend upward and back of the hoppers D D, and project upward sufficiently high to be seen by the operator. The rods L serve as indicators, and

by their movement show that the valves I opcrater By this arrangement the planting of the seed at all the desired points is insured.

In order to graduate the depth the seed is to be planted, I adjust the front part of the machinehigher or lower by means of a pin, 7c, and perforated segment-bar l, the latter passing-through a slot in the draft-pole M,

and the pin k passing through the draftpole and perforated plate. This arrangement, however, has been previously used.

I do not claim separately the'reciproeating seed-slides cl (1 nor the cut off-brushes K, for such parts have been previously used; but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The reciprocating seed-slides d d and valves I I, when the latter are operated by the projections j, and the slides d and springs Z on the rods J, and the latter provided with indicators or rods L, all arranged as and for the purpose herein set forth.

E. W. KIMBALL.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. MCKINNEY, Gus. S. O. CRANE. 

